A stick of butter...

That's the start of any great recipe, along with a cup of sugar, as any good southern cook will tell you. I by no means consider myself a master in the kitchen, but I know my sweets and occasionally like to spend some quality time with my KitchenAid mixer and oven!

"Mia Dolce" is Italian for "my sweet", so it's only fitting to mix in some articles on baking. My all-time favorite go-to recipe is for Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies. A slight twist on the normal chocolate chip, and I like to fool myself into thinking the oatmeal adds some nutritional value!

The recipe (courtesy of my sister):

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1-1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
2-1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. nuts (if desired - I normally leave out!)

Mix all together, drop spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. I made some tonight for Justin's poker buddies, and they were gone in no time.